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Beef Fly Control

Flies can serve as a vector to spread the Moraxella bovis organism associated with pinkeye in the herd. Implementing house, face and stable fly control can help to reduce the incidence of pinkeye. With the loss of CTC in minerals (unless a valid VFD is written), producers have one less tool to fight pinkeye. Therefore, one may need to consider more fly control strategies as an aid to prevent pinkeye.

Augusta Co-op is still offering minerals that many customers have used in the past that contain an Insect Growth Regulator (IGR) in them. While IGR is still an excellent tool for horn fly control, it is not labeled for control of face, house or stable flies. Face flies in particular are considered to be vectors for pinkeye transmission among cattle; however, house and stable flies can contribute to pinkeye transmission as well.

Fly control methods include the following product categories:

Emulsifiable Concentrates - liquid insecticide concentrates that are designed to be mixed with either water or oil-based carriers and applied through backrubbers and mops

Dusts - granular powders that are designed to be applied through a dust bag that cattle pass under

Water-Based Sprays - concentrates that can be mixed with water and sprayed directly on the animal or sprayed on barns and buildings where animals congregate